Reading Matariki
Dr Matamua went on to explain how his ancestors would look to Matariki to see what the year ahead would bring. Matariki is read in combinations, comparing parts of the whole. If one star is brighter than the others, food from that source would be plentiful or the weather would be good, but if a star is dim or missing, the outcomes represented by that star will be negative in the coming year. Dr Matamua then went into further detail about the proper time of year in which to read Matariki, pointing out that many celebrations are held when Matariki is not yet visible. This is partially because Māori tradition follows a lunar calendar, not the European calendar; Pipiri, the time of Matariki’s rising in the early morning, does not match up with June. Additionally, just because Matariki is visible does not mean it is the right time to read the stars for what the year ahead will bring. Matariki must be read when the moon is in the right phase in Pipiri: when the moon is in Tangaroa at the end of its third quarter and into the last quarter. The celebrations take place after this.